Pickeral: Signees Working Hard

by Robbi Pickeral, GoHeels.com

Theo Pinson has
seemed relieved, his high school coach says, since signing his national letter
of intent to play basketball at North Carolina. Joel Berry, meanwhile, has been
"as competitive as ever," since officially signing with the Tar Heels.

And Justin Jackson? He's more confident.

"Thankfully, he doesn't have senioritis—or I-already-signed-itis,''
said Mike Decker, coach of Jackson's Homeschool
Christian Youth team in Texas. "He's working as hard as ever ... and I'm
sure the other [signees] are, too."

Indeed, while the heralded trio—ranked the No. 4 incoming recruiting
class in 2014 by ESPN.com—won't officially arrive on the Tar Heels' campus
until next summer, none of the highly-regarded recruits are resting on their
(albeit impressive) laurels. As they aim to propel their high school teams to
victories this season, they also are trying to work themselves into positions
to push UNC to wins next season and beyond, as well.

A quick check-in on each:

HITTING THE WEIGHT ROOM

Pinson, a 6-foot-6 wing from Greensboro, has the versatile athletic ability do
it all: pass, defend, score, wow.

Now, he's focusing on building the strength to do it all at the next level.

"I think it hit him after he committed [to UNC] last year, that he
needed to commit to the weight room ... that if there were guys who were at the
same skill level as him, but were stronger than him, they were going to have
the edge. So he worked on that," said Wesleyan Christian Academy coach Keith
Gatlin.

Pinson's increased time in the weight room - plus an extra focus
on the mechanics of his jump shot - have helped him average about 24 points per
game this season, so far.

"Theo is stronger, he's posting guys up now, he's finishing
at the rim,'' Gatlin said. "He's always been athletic, but now that he's really
hitting the weights, he's getting that inner confidence that he can ... take the
bumps, go strong to the rim. His best basketball is yet to come."

Pinson and his team will be playing in holiday tournaments in
South Carolina and California this month, but fans can view his progression on
ESPNU on Jan. 20, against Findlay Prep.

FINESSING SHOTS

Jackson, a 6-7 wing from Tomball, Texas, practices only twice a week with his
home-school team. But Decker continues to see him work, and improve, each time
he's on the court.

"As a player, he is extremely smart, he can do so many different
things; there's not really a position he can't play,'' Decker said. "And God
has gifted him with a graceful long, gifted body. A lot of kids that size can
be herky-jerky, and he's really not. He's really smooth and controlled."

So smooth, the good-natured teammate with "a sneaky sense of
humor" is averaging better than 10 rebounds and 30 points per game. Jackson,
known for an arsenal of shots including a pretty floater, told scout.com
recently that he wants to work on building muscle, and improving his 3-pointer.

Both
will be on display in the HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational in Raleigh later this
month.

"None of this has gone to his head,'' Decker said. "What you've
got to realize about home schooling is we start at 10 and under, so we have
pretty much the 10-year-olds, 12s, 14s, 16s, and 18s in the gym all the time.
And he's just as comfortable with his little brothers and sisters [players] as
he is with the big guys. He's going to make a terrific teammate at UNC."

VOICING LEADERSHIP

By
averaging roughly 32 points, point guard Joel Berry is scoring more than he
ever has for Lake Highland (Fla.) Prep. But the 6-foot ballhandler's focus on
leadership impresses coach Jason Vallery more.

"From a physical standpoint and from a basketball skill
standpoint, neither of those have we spent a lot of time saying, 'Hey, you need
to add this to your game,'" Vallery said. "He's gotten stronger and faster
after rehabbing his knee last season with the injury he had, and we've really
focused on the leadership aspect. He's always been a leader by example, and now
he's that vocal leader, as well."

During practice, Berry has made a point of sharing more tips and
encouragement to his younger teammates, Vallery said. During games, he's been
more vocal about inspiring his teammates to match his energy, to push it up a
notch. After waiting his turn behind last year's seniors, he's trying to leave
a legacy.

Berry's game - and voice - will be on display when he leads his
team in the HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational in Raleigh later this month.

"He's an unbelievable talent, but he doesn't flaunt it,'' Vallery
said. "He does what needs to be done for his team to win - this year, that's
being even more of a vocal leader. And when he gets to North Carolina, I'm confident
he'll be able to display that skill, as well."